torkelson



(No Model.)

R. T. TORKELSON.

VELOOIPEDE TREADLE.

m m O M 7. n. m M %M HT E F B @W m Hg M n Z REINHARD T. TORKELSON, OF XVOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO IVER JOHNSON, OF SAME PLACE.

VELOClPEDE-TREADLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,212, dated October 16, 1888.

Application filed May 31, 1988.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, REINHARD T. ToRKsL SON, of the city and county of \Vorcester, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Velocipede- Treadles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, and in which Figure 1 represents a plan of the under side of a treadle embodying my improvements; also a part of the lever to which itis attached, portions thereof being in section to more fully illustrate said improvements. Fig. 2 is a back, side, or edge view thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse section, taken at the point indicated by lines a in Figs. 1 and 2, looking in the direc tions of the arrows, same figures, the treadle and lever being shown in two positions by full and dotted lines to illustrate the operation thereof, as hereinafter more fully described; and Figs. at and 5 are similar views to Figs. 1 and 3, showing modifications in the construction, also hereinafter described.

Hy invention relates more especially to bicycles, and to that class commonly known as "lever machines; and it consists in combining with the treadle an improved spring device, whereby the face of said treadle is always presented to the foot of the rider, and also in improvements in the bearings of the treadlespindle, which admit of the holdingnut thereof being placed upon the inner instead of the outer end of said spindle, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it more in detail.

In the drawings, A represents a part of the usual lever, and B my improved foot-treadle. As my invention relates wholly to said foottreadle, it is deemed unnecessary to illustrate other parts of the bicycle than those shown to make clear the nature and purpose thereof.

The foot-treadle is fitted to turn on the hol low cone centers 1) c, fitted at each end of said treadle over the central supporting-spindle, d, which is fastened to the outer end of the lever A, at right angles thereto, thebearings in the treadle being beveled or coneshaped to corre- Serial No. 273, 5155.

(No model.)

spond with said cone centers, which, by the way, are inclined toward the center of the treadle, as is shown in Figs. 1. and 4. The spindle is threaded at both ends, and the open ings in the cone centers are also threaded to correspond therewith, so that they may be turned up over said threaded portions of the spindle in fitting theparts together. The cenfor b, after being fitted over the outer end of the spindle, is secured thereon by means of a pin, 6, passed transversely through the parts, or in any other suitable manner, while the inner center, 0, is simply turned over the spindie and is locked tight against the lever by means of the nut f, which is turned up over the outer end of the spindle against the inner side of the lever, as is best shown in Fig. 1. The cone center 0 is preferably made with a hub, c, which extends into the lever-bearing, as is shown also in Fig. 1; but, if desired,substantially the same result may be obtained by using a separate threaded ring or collar as a substitute for said hub.

By thus constructing the treadle-support it is obvious that the spindle and its cone centers are held in a secure manner, and that the treadle may turn on said cone centers or bearings in a smooth and easy manner without lon- 8o gitudinal movement thereon, while at the same time said bearings may be conveniently adjusted as they become worn by use by simply unloosening the nutf, turning the trcadle and its spindle,so as to tighten the parts, and then 8 turning up the nut again tight against the lever to lock the parts in their adjusted positions. The main feature of my invention consists of the spring device previously referred to,for keeping the top face of the treadle in position 0 to receive the foot of the rider, and which will now be described.

To the outer end of the cone-center b,which .is secured to the spindle, is hinged at 9 one in the operation of the machine, when said pressure is re1eased,the action of the spring at once draws it back again into its original position. Consequently the face of the treadle is always in position to receive the foot of the rider, which, as will at once be apparent, is a great convenience to said rider, and renders the operation of running the machine much more easy to perform than where such provision is not made, as is the case in many of the old machines now in use.

Various constructions may be adopted for exerting ayielding draft upon the link h, for the purpose just described. I prefer, however,in practice toemploy the construction illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, which consists in disposing a single coiled spring, 1', in a chamber or pocket, j, formed in the under side of the treadle-frame, and which is held in posit-ion therein by means of a screw, is, around which it is fitted. One end, 'i', of said spring has a bearing against the treadle-frame, and its other end is connected with the outer end of the link, which construction, it will be obvious, effects the desired result in a simple and inexpenslve manner.

The modified construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 consists in employing a spiral spring,

which is arranged around the link h in a transverse circular opening in the treadle-frame. It has a bearing at its inner end against said treadle-frame, and at its outer end against a head, Z, fitted to slide in the circular opening aforesaid, and to which head the outer end of the link is connected. v The head is held in the opening against the pressure of the spring by the set-screw, m, fitted to turn in the outer end of said opening. If desired, the inner end of the link h may be hinged directly to the end of spindle d, eccentric with its center, instead of to the cone center I), and, if preferred, said cone center may form a part of the spindle instead of being made separate and secured thereon, the same result, it is obvious, being effected by either construction, as by the construction shown and described; and, furthermo re, the spring device may be arranged, if preferred, at any convenient point between the ends of the spindle and frame instead of at the outer ends thereof, in which case the connecting-link would engage with a crankarm projecting laterally from the spindle.

Dust and dirt may be. excluded from entering around the outer bearing and spring device of the treadle by securing a cap, a, over the end of the treadle-fram'e, covering said parts, as is shown in Figs. 1 and I.

In practice the upper surfaces of the treadlecushions are preferably corrugated, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5; but I do not limit myself thereto.

Although, as previously stated, my invention is designed principally for use on lever- 1112101111165, it is obvious that it' is applicable to other styles of machines as well, and I therefore reserve the right to thus apply the same.

set forth.

I am aware that it is not new to combine a device with a Velocipede-treadle for the purpose herein set forth, and in View thereof I make no claim, broadly, to such feature.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a velocipede, a device for rendering the foot-treadle thereof self-adjusting, so that its top surface will always be presented to the foot of the rider,'consisting of a link or its equivalent, eecentricallyconneeted at its inner end with the spindle of said treadle, or a fixed bearing secured thereon, and whose outer end is connected with means for exerting a longitudinal strain upon said link or connection, substantially as shown and specified.

2. In a velocipede, the combination of its foottreadle frame and the central spindle of the foot-treadle, with a link, or its equivalent, eccentrieally connected at its inner end with the outer end of said spindle, or a fixed bearing secured thereon, and whose outer end is connected with a suitable spring for exerting a longitudinal strain upon said link or connection, and said spring arranged and held in a suitable pocket in the treadle-frame, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth- 3. The combination of the foot-treadle spindle d, having thecone centers b c fitted over its threaded ends, with the outer cone center, b, secured thereon, and the treadle-frame having suitable bearings at each end fitting said cone centers, with the link h, hinged at its inner end to the outer end of the cone center I), and at its outer end connected with a suitable spring arranged and held in a proper pocket in the frame, substantially as and for the purpose. set forth.

4. The combination of the foot-treadle spindle d, having the cone centers b-c fitted over its threaded ends, with the outer cone center, I), secured thereon, the treadle-frame having suitable bearings at each end fitting said cone centers, and the dust-excluding cap h, fastened overthe outer end of the frame, with the link h, hinged at its inner end to the outer end of the cone center I), and at its outer end connected with a suitable spring arranged and 1 held in a proper pocket in the frame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the foot-lever A, its spindle (I, having threaded ends, and fastened to said lever by means of the cone center a and nut f, also having the cone center b, secured upon its outer end, and the treadleframe whose end bearings fit said cone centers, with the link h, hinged at its inner end to the outer end of the cone center I), and at its outer end connected with a suitable spring arranged and held in a proper pocket in the frame, substantially as and for the purpose REINHARD T. TORKELSON. lVitnesses:

A. A. BARKER,

W. B. NoURsE. 

